Brief Intervention Boosts Grit in Teenage Boys

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by PsyPost.

A new study from Norway suggests that a brief educational program can help teenage boys develop more grit, a trait linked to success and well-being. Researchers discovered that a short intervention focused on building belief in one’s own abilities led to a noticeable increase in grit among male students. This finding, published in Frontiers in Education, offers a promising and simple way to support boys in developing the mental toughness needed to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

The researchers designed a study to test a new program aimed at increasing what they termed “I CAN” beliefs, which are essentially beliefs in one’s own capabilities. They recruited 421 students around 15 years old from 38 schools across Norway. These schools were already participating in a program called MOT, a youth development organization focused on building resilience in young people. The students were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. Both groups participated in an intervention program that was new to them. The experimental group received the “I CAN” intervention, while the control group participated in a program that focused on learning about different parts of the brain.

Before the interventions began, all students completed questionnaires to assess their levels of grit and growth mindset. Grit was measured using a questionnaire that evaluates perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Growth mindset, the belief that abilities can be developed through effort and learning, was measured using a separate questionnaire developed by the researchers. Following this initial assessment, 256 students in the experimental group took part in the “I CAN” intervention, and 165 students in the control group participated in the brain-focused intervention. Both interventions were short, consisting of two 45-minute sessions.

The “I CAN” intervention was designed to activate a mental “switch” in students, encouraging them to develop stronger beliefs in their abilities. It was built on the idea that beliefs can be changed relatively quickly, unlike skills which often require extended practice.

To make these concepts relatable, the intervention used examples and stories, including the story of a Norwegian snowboarder who achieved success despite significant health challenges. A core component of the “I CAN” intervention involved three key messages: “You can achieve more than you realize if you invest sufficient effort,” “When faced with challenges, you can overcome them if you put your mind to it,” and “Self-belief and a positive focus are keys to success.” At the end of the intervention, students were asked to write down a personal reminder note of what they learned, to take home with them.

After the interventions, about eight to nine weeks later, students completed the grit and growth mindset questionnaires again.

The analysis of the results showed that, overall, there were no significant differences between the experimental and control groups in their grit or growth mindset scores after the interventions. However, when the researchers looked more closely at the experimental group, they found a marginally significant increase in grit for the group as a whole. More notably, they discovered a statistically significant increase in grit specifically among the male students in the experimental group.

This meant that the male students who participated in the “I CAN” intervention showed a real and measurable improvement in their grit scores compared to their scores before the intervention. In contrast, the control group showed no significant changes in grit or growth mindset.

The researchers concluded that their short “I CAN” intervention appeared to be effective in increasing grit, particularly in teenage boys. They suggested that the intervention may have successfully “turned on the switch” for these boys, strengthening their beliefs in their ability to persevere. The fact that the intervention seemed to have a stronger effect on boys might be related to gender differences in academic performance and interests.

Source: PsyPost
https://www.psypost.org/brief-intervention-boosts-grit-in-teenage-boys-study-finds/